This review was focused on global data analysis and risk factors associated with morbidity and mortality of coronavirus disease 2019 from different countries, including Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Central Eastern Europe, Egypt, India, Iran, Pakistan, and South Asia, Africa, Turkey and UAE. Male showed higher confirmed and death cases compared to females in most of the countries. In addition, the case fatality ratio (CFR) for males was higher than for females. This gender variation in COVID-19 cases may be due to males' cultural activities, but similar variations in the number of COVID-19 affected males and females globally. Variations in the immune system can illustrate this divergent risk comparatively higher in males than females. The female immune system may have an edge to detect pathogens slightly earlier. In addition, women show comparatively higher innate and adaptive immune responses than men, which might be explained by the high density of immune-related genes in the X chromosome. Furthermore, SARS-CoV-2 viruses use angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) to enter the host cell, and men contain higher ACE2 than females. Therefore, males may be more vulnerable to COVID-19 than females. In addition, smoking habit also makes men susceptible to COVID-19. Considering the age-wise distribution, children and older adults were less infected than other age groups and the death rate. On the contrary, more death in the older group may be associated with less immune system function. In addition, most of these group have comorbidities like diabetes, high pressure, low lungs and kidney function, and other chronic diseases. Due to the substantial economic losses and the numerous infected people and deaths, research examining the features of the COVID-19 epidemic is essential to gain insight into mitigating its impact in the future and preparedness for any future epidemics.

Context: In the healthcare system, Artificial Intelligence (AI) is emerging as a productive tool. There are instances where AI has done marvels in the diagnosis of various health conditions and the interpretation of complex medical disorders. Although AI is far from human intelligence, it can be used as an effective tool to study the SARS-CoV-2 and its capabilities, virulence, and genome. The progress of the pandemic can be tracked, and the patients can be monitored, thereby speeding up the research for the treatment of COVID-19. In this review article, we highlighted the importance of AI and Machine learning (ML) techniques that can speed up the path to the discovery of a possible cure for COVID-19. We also deal with the interactions between viromics and AI, which can hopefully find a solution to this pandemic. Evidence Acquisition: A review of different articles was conducted using the following databases: MEDLINE/PubMed, SCOPUS, Web of Science, ScienceDirect, and Google Scholar for recent studies regarding the use of AI, seeking the spread of different infectious diseases using relevant MeSH subheadings. Results: After a thorough screening of different articles, 30 articles were considered, and key information was obtained from them. Finally, the scope was broadened to obtain more information. Our findings indicated that AI/ML is a promising approach to drug development. Conclusions:The field of AI has enormous potential to predict the changes that may take place in the environment. If this technology is applied to situations of a pandemic such as COVID-19, breakthroughs could potentially pave the way for new vaccines and antiviral drugs.

Coronavirus disease – 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, due to severe acute respiratory syndrome–coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2), is posing a severe bio threat to the entire world. Nucleocapsids of SARS-CoV-2 and the related viruses were studied for gene and amino acid sequence homologies. In this study, we established similarities and differences in nucleocapsids in SARS-CoV-2, severe acute respiratory syndrome – coronavirus-1 (SARS-CoV-1), bat coronavirus (bat-CoV) and Middle East respiratory syndrome – coronavirus (MERS-CoV). We conducted a detailed analysis of the nucleocapsid protein amino acid and gene sequence encoding it, found in various coronavirus strains. After thoroughly screening the different nucleocapsids, we observed a close molecular homology between SARS-CoV-1 and SARS-CoV-2. More than 95% sequence similarity was observed between the two SARS-CoV strains. Bat-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 showed 92% sequence similarity. MERS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid analysis indicated only 65% identity. Molecular characterization of nucleocapsids from various coronaviruses revealed that SARS-CoV 2 is more related to SARS-CoV 1 and bat-CoV. SARS-CoV 2 exhibited less resemblance with MERS-CoV. SARS-CoV 2 showed less similarity to MERS-CoV. Thus, either SARS-CoV-1 or bat-CoV may be the source of SARS-CoV-2 evolution. Moreover, the existing differences in nucleocapsid molecular structures in SARS-CoV-2 make this virus more virulent and highly infectious, which means that the non-identical SARS-CoV-2 genes (which are absent in SARS-CoV-1 and bat-CoV) are responsible for COVID-19 severity. We observed that SARS-CoV-2 nucleocapsid from different locations varied in amino acid sequences. This revealed that there are many SARS-CoV-2 subtypes/subsets currently circulating globally. This study will help to develop antiviral vaccine and drugs, study viral replication and immunopathogenesis, and synthesize monoclonal antibodies that can be used for precise COVID-19 diagnosis, without false-positive/false-negative results.

Background The recently emerged novel coronavirus, “severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus‐2 (SARS‐CoV‐2)”, caused a highly contagious disease called coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19). It has severely damaged the world's most developed countries and has turned into a major threat for low‐ and middle‐income countries. Since its emergence in late 2019, medical interventions have been substantial, and most countries relied on public health measures collectively known as nonpharmaceutical interventions. Aims To centralize the accumulative knowledge on non‐pharmaceutical interventions (NPIs) against COVID‐19 for each country under one worldwide consortium. Methods International COVID‐19 Research Network collaborators developed a cross‐sectional online‐survey to assess the implications of NPIs and sanitary supply on incidence and mortality of COVID‐19. Survey was conducted between January 1 and February 1, 2021, and participants from 92 countries/territories completed it. The association between NPIs, sanitation supplies and incidence and mortality were examined by multivariate regression, with log‐transformed value of population as an offset value. Results Majority of countries/territories applied several preventive strategies including social distancing (100.0%), quarantine (100.0%), isolation (98.9%), and school closure (97.8%). Individual‐level preventive measures such as personal hygiene (100.0%) and wearing facial mask (94.6% at hospital; 93.5% at mass transportation; 91.3% in mass gathering facilities) were also frequently applied. Quarantine at a designated place was negatively associated with incidence and mortality compared to home quarantine. Isolation at a designated place was also associated with reduced mortality compared to home isolation. Recommendations to use sanitizer for personal hygiene reduced incidence compared to recommendation to use soap did. Deprivation of mask was associated with increased incidence. Higher incidence and mortality were found in countries/territories with higher economic level. Mask deprivation was pervasive regardless of economic level. Conclusion NPIs against COVID‐19 such as using sanitizer, quarantine, and isolation can decrease incidence and mortality of COVID‐19. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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